Immediate change needed

INDUSTRY NEWS

PEOPLE BEFORE PRICE

On average, at least two construction workers have died every month since January 2021—with one suicide a week— and one worker a day has been seriously injured.

These are shocking statistics and don’t compare well with other developed countries, including Australia, Canada and the UK.

Immediate change is needed, said CHASNZ Chief Executive Chris Alderson in September. “The construction workforce is currently under extreme pressure from internal and external factors, and this also increases the risk of a normal day’s work becoming one with a tragic outcome.

“We need the courage to challenge doing things in the name of health and safety that don’t actually improve safety on site and we need to put more time and resource back into our site supervisors and workforce so they can focus on getting the job done right rather than fast, cheaply or without the things that make the work safer.”

The increasing number of people working in construction is also part of the reason for the high injury stats compared with other sectors. Construction is currently the second fastest growing workforce, making up 10% of all workers.

WorkSafe Chief Executive Phil Parkes is warning company owners and directors of “swift enforcement” action if they ignore their health and safety obligations. “The message is clear—those who can influence how work is done must do so.”